1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a customer support system. In particular, the present invention relates to a customer support system, a customer support method, a customer support center, and a customer information system for supporting a customer by effectively using data from a device that is in the customer""s possession.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known to remotely monitor the state of a device located at a customer and take necessary measures for such device. However, such known systems depend upon the collection of certain specified information. Therefore, the purposes for which the collected information may be used have been limited.
For example, a known system remotely monitors the amount (or time) that a device has been used, and collects a charge according to the amount of usage. Further, there are known systems for remotely monitoring the quality or the state of a device.
However, it may not be possible to sufficiently support customers merely by obtaining information regarding the status or usage of a device.
For example, it is not possible to know the complete state of a device only through usage or quality information. If it is not possible to know the complete state of a device, then it is not possible to fully perform maintenance and management of the device. Thus, it is not possible to fully support the customer.
In many cases, a microcomputer may be set in a device located at a customer, and the information-orientation of the device itself may be processed. However, the present applicants are unaware of any one system in which information generated from the device is effectively used and used equally by customers, device suppliers, device maintenance staff and device managers.
The present invention has been devised in consideration of the above-mentioned problems. An object of the present invention is to obtain a wide range of information of a device located at a customer, and to use the usage information and the quality information of the device to give various facilities to the customer and to positively support the customer.
An exemplary customer support system according to the present invention using information concerning at least one device (for example, terminals 11 through 1N, shown in FIG. 1; a device shown in FIG. 6) located at a customer, and supporting the customer, may comprise:
a customer support center (for example, a customer support center 11, shown in FIG. 1; the same shown in FIG. 3) collecting customer information using a communication line (for example, a network 13 shown in FIG. 1; a network 10 shown in FIG. 2), and storing or transferring the thus-collected information; and
at least one customer information system (for example, the customer information systems 121 through 12N shown in FIG. 1; the same shown in each of FIGS. 4 and 5) connected with the customer support center via a communication line (for example, a network 10 shown in each of FIGS. 1 and 2), using the information from the customer support center, and supporting the customer,
wherein the customer support center comprises a collection and delivery program for collecting and distributing usage information and quality information of the at least one device, and a device information storing program for storing the usage information and quality information of the at least one device as it is or after modifying it; and
the at least one customer information system uses the usage information and quality information of the at least one device collected by the customer support center, and supports the customer.
Thereby, the customer support center collects the usage information indicating an amount to which the device has been used and the quality information indicating the quality of the device from the at least one device located at the customer, and distributes the same information. The at least one customer information system uses the same information for supporting the customer. Thereby, various conveniences/advantages can be provided to the customer, and positive supporting of the customer can be achieved.
The quality information may comprise alarm information which indicates that the device is in a condition such that no fault has occurred but maintenance is needed; and
the usage information may comprise information as to how many times the device is used in a case where the device comprises an image processing device.
Thereby, the fault information, alarm information and information as to how many times the device is used are used. Accordingly, it is possible to support the customer appropriately in each situation.
The customer support center, when receiving the fault information, may report this matter to the customer information system in charge of maintenance and/or management of the device. Also, the customer support center may obtain the quality information of the device which has the fault, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the fault information was received, and may comprise a canceling part for canceling the fault information when it is determined from the quality information that the device operates normally.
Thereby, when receiving the fault information, the customer support center determines whether the relevant device has been restored after the predetermined time has elapsed, and, when the device has been restored, determines that it is not necessary to take care of the customer and cancels the fault information. Accordingly, it is possible to effectively deal with the fault information.
The customer support center may comprise a discarding part which discards the fault information or alarm information when it is determined from a condition of the device that the device is in a condition such that no fault or no alarm occurs, when the fault information or alarm information is received.
Thereby, by discarding the fault information when the relevant device is in such a condition that a fault or alarm does not occur, it is possible to avoid useless dealing with the fault information or alarm information.
The customer support center, when receiving the fault information, may not regard it as the fault information when it is not necessary to deal with it.
It is thereby possible to avoid useless dealing with the fault information.
The customer support center may comprise a filter part for deleting, from the fault information, information unnecessary for restoring the device from the fault.
It is thereby possible to perform data processing of the fault information efficiently.
Further, because no unnecessary information is included, it is possible to transmit and store the data efficiently.
The customer support center may comprise a prediction part which predicts a future fault or bad condition or deficiency using the fault information which is not regarded as the fault information.
It is thereby possible to effectively use the fault information which is not regarded as the fault information for predicting a future fault or bad condition or deficiency.
The customer support center may comprise a prediction part which predicts a future fault or bad condition or deficiency using the information which is deleted from the fault information by the filter part.
It is thereby possible to effectively use the information which is deleted from the fault information by the filter part for predicting a future fault or bad condition or deficiency.
The customer support center may regard the alarm information as the fault information when it is received from the same device successively.
It is thereby possible to restore from an alarm which is felt by the customer as an actual fault.
The customer support center may comprise an information acquisition setting part for specifying the target device or a time, and obtaining information regarding the use of the target device.
It is thereby possible to obtain necessary information as the need arises.
The customer support center may comprise a supply instructing part for using the usage information or expendable-supply used information for supplying expendable supplies to the device. The supply instructing part may function to report necessary information to the customer information system in charge of supply of expendable supplies.
It is thereby possible to supply expendable supplies rapidly and appropriately.
The quality information may comprise supply instruction information indicating that supply of expendable supplies is needed. A supply box may be deployed at the customer at which the device is located. The supply box may comprise a transmitting part which catches a custody state of expendable supplies for each item of the expendable supplies, and, when supply of the expendable supplies is needed, transmits the supply instruction information to the customer information system.
It is thereby possible to supply expendable supplies rapidly and appropriately by the customer information system.
The customer support center may comprise a transferring part which, when the alarm information is received, transfers part of the alarm information to the customer information system in charge of maintenance and/or management of the device.
It is thereby possible to deal with the alarm information rapidly and appropriately by the customer information system in charge of maintenance and/or management of the device.
The customer support center may comprise a transferring part which modifies the alarm information and transfers the modified alarm information to the customer information system in charge of maintenance and/or management of the device.
It is thereby possible to deal with the alarm information rapidly and appropriately by the customer information system in charge of maintenance and/or management of the device.
The customer support center may comprise a storage part for storing, for each device or for each customer, information received by the customer support center and information obtained after being modified by the customer support center.
Thereby, the information stored in the storage part can be effectively used by the customer support center and the at least one customer information system as the need arises.
The customer information system in charge of maintenance and/or management of the device, when receiving the fault information from the customer support center, may examine the state of the device located at the customer.
The customer information system in charge of maintenance and/or management of the device, after confirming based on the quality information of the device located at the customer that the device has a fault, may provide instructions to repair the device.
It is thereby possible to avoid useless dealing with the fault information.
The customer information system in charge of maintenance and/or management of the device may manage progress of the state from the reception of the fault information to the restoration from the fault.
It is thereby possible to know the state of repairing from the fault immediately at any time, and to proceed with dealing with the fault smoothly.
The customer information system in charge of maintenance and/or management of the device, when the customer information system in charge of supply of expendable supplies generates expendable-supply ordering information of ordering expendable supplies, may compare the state of the device located at the customer for which the ordering is made with the expendable-supply ordering information, and thus examines this information.
It is thereby possible to avoid erroneous ordering of expendable supplies.
The customer information system in charge of maintenance and/or management of the device, when information as to how many times the device has been used changes sharply, may determine whether this value is abnormal.
It is thereby possible to deal with the situation appropriately.
The customer information system may receive supply instructions from the customer support center, and supply of expendable supplies to the relevant device.
It is thereby possible to supply and manage expendable supplies most appropriately.
An exemplary customer supporting method according to the present invention may be used by at least one device (the terminals 11 through 1N shown in FIG. 1; the device shown in FIG. 6, for example) located at a customer, a customer support center (the customer support center 11 shown in FIG. 1; the same shown in FIG. 3, for example) collecting, distributing and/or modifying information of the at least one device using a communication line (the network 13 shown in FIG. 1; the network 10 shown in FIG. 2, for example) and at least one customer information system (the customer information systems 121 through 12N shown in FIG. 1; the same shown in each of FIGS. 4 and 5, for example) connected with the customer support center via a communication line (the network 10 shown in each of FIGS. 1 and 2, for example) and supporting the customer using the information collected and/or modified by the customer support center. The exemplary method may comprise the steps of:
a) the customer support center collecting and distributing usage information and quality information of the device;
b) the customer support center storing part or all of the usage information and quality information; and
c) the customer information system using the usage information and quality information for supporting the customer.
Thereby, the customer support center collects and distributes the usage information and quality information of the device, and stores the same information. The customer information systems use the usage information and quality information. Thereby, various conveniences/advantages can be provided to the customers, and it is possible to supporting the customers positively.
The customer information system in charge of sales of the device may obtain classified-by-function information and clarified-by-size information of sales devices, and the usage information of the specific customers. The customer information system may provide information of the device suitable for the customer using the classified-by-function information, classified-by-size information of the sales devices, usage information of the specific customer, and a condition indicated by the specified customer (including the case where no condition is indicated by the customer).
When the information of the device is provided to the customer, the condition of the customer and a reason for the information provision may also be provided to the customer, simultaneously.
The customer information system may be used at a house of the customer through a remote terminal via a communication line.
Thereby, by preparing and providing information of devices suitable for the customers by using the classified-by-function information and classified-by-size information of sales device and the usage information of the specific customers, and the conditions indicated by the specific customers, it is possible to prepare a proposal for the customers rapidly and appropriately.
Further, because it is possible to prepare and show a proposal at a house of the customer using the remote terminal, it is possible to provide a timely proposal.
When receiving the fault information or alarm information from the customer support center, the customer information system in charge of maintenance and/or management of the device may change setting of the device located at the customer remotely so as to restore the device.
The customer information system in charge of maintenance and/or management of the device, when it is not possible to restore the device by changing setting of the device, may arrange a person for restoring the device without delay.
It is thereby possible to restore the device rapidly and appropriately.
The customer information system in charge of maintenance and/or management of the device may receive the usage information and quality information from the customer support center, and inspect the device by processing the received information.
It is thereby possible to prevent the device from having a fault. Thereby, the device can operate normally constantly.
The customer information system in charge of maintenance and/or management of the device may receive the usage information and quality information from the customer support center, and perform quality control of the maintenance and/or management works.
Thereby, in particular, by the quality information, it is possible to recognize the state of repairing of the device after dispatch of a service staff, and to perform quality control for the maintenance/management works.
The customer information system in charge of maintenance and/or management of the device may have a database of an artificial intelligence, and, based on knowledge data of the artificial intelligence and information obtained from the customer support center, determine whether the device of the customer has a fault.
It is thereby possible to repair the device from the fault rapidly and appropriately.
The customer information system in charge of supply of expendable supplies may receive the usage information from the customer support center, and supply and/or manage the expendable supplies.
Thereby, as a result of supply and management of expendable supplies being performed by the system different from the customer support center, the processing load borne by the customer support center can be reduced.
Further, because supply and management of expendable supplies is performed by the special system of supply and management of expendable supplies, it is possible to perform most appropriate supply and management of expendable supplies.
The customer information system in charge of management of expendable supplies may obtain information of stock of the expendable supplies preceding to a holiday by a predetermined time.
It is thereby possible to avoid such a situation that expendable supplies are short on the weekend.
The customer information system in charge of management of expendable supplies may obtain information of stock of the expendable supplies, and, when the stock is less than a predetermined amount, order the relevant expendable supplies on behalf of the customer as if they have been ordered by the customer.
It is thereby possible to order the expendable supplies rapidly.
The customer information system in charge of planning the device may receive the usage information and quality information from the customer support center, understand the actual situation as to how the device is used, and performs planning of the next device.
It is thereby possible to perform planning corresponding to the actual needs of the customers.
The customer information system in charge of design of the device may receive the usage information and quality information from the customer support center, obtain the quality information for each generation, for each model, and/or for each device, and improve the quality of the device.
It is thereby possible to catch tendency and frequency of faults for each model, and to perform improvement and/or design change on market products timely.
The customer information system in charge of manufacturing of the device may receive the usage information and quality information from the customer support center, understand the life of the device and durability of components, and make quality control in a manufacturing department be congruent with the actual situation.
It is thereby possible to make quality control in the manufacturing department be congruent with the actual situation.
Part or all of the works performed by the at least one customer information system may be performed by the customer support center.
It is thereby possible to dynamically distribute works in the customer support system.
An exemplary customer support center (for example, the customer support center 11 shown in FIG. 1; the same shown in FIG. 3) according to the present invention collecting, distributing and/or modifying information of at least one device located at a customer using a communication line, may comprise:
a collection and delivery part collecting and distributing usage information and quality information of the at least one device; and
a device information storage part stores the usage information and quality information as it is or after modifying it,
wherein the customer support center provides the collected and/or modified information to at least one customer information system connected to the center via a communication line. Thereby, the information concerning the at least one device is used for supporting the customer.
This customer support center is one suitable for any of the above-described customer support systems.
An exemplary customer information system (for example, any of the customer information systems 121 through 12N shown in FIG. 1; the same shown in any of FIGS. 4 and 5) according to the present invention connected via a communication line with at least one device located at a customer and a customer support center collecting, distributing and/or modifying information of the at least one device using a communication line, and using the information collected and/or modified by the customer support center for supporting the customer, may comprise:
a storage part storing information to be used for supporting the customer; and a processing part supporting the customer by using usage information and quality information of the at least one device,
wherein the system uses the information concerning the at least one device for supporting the customer individually.
This customer information system is suitable for any of the above-described customer support systems.
An exemplary device (for example, any of the terminals 11 through 1N shown in FIG. 1; the same shown in FIG. 6) according to the present invention located at a customer in a customer support system comprising a customer support center collecting, distributing and/or modifying information of the device of customers using a communication line and at least one customer information system connected with the customer support center via a communication line and supporting the customers using the information collected and/or modified by the customer support center, may comprise:
an operation screen used for operating the device; and
a state displaying button for displaying the state of the device,
wherein when the button is pressed, the customer support center transmits information indicating the state of the device, and the state of the device is displayed on the operation screen.
It is thereby possible to easily obtain the state of the device.
Other objects and further features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.